Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, who abruptly dissolved the assemblyon Wednesday night after two alliances of PDPNC-Congress and Sajad Lone-BJP staked claim to form the government, cited “extensive horse-trading” as the reason behind his decision, prompting National Conference leader Omar Abdullah to ask him to furnish proof.

Dismissing allegations that he was acting on the Centre’s directions, Malik, speaking to reporters at Raj Bhawan, said had this been the case, their side (BJP, People’s Conference) would have been called for government formation. He insisted that it would have been impossible for parties with “opposing political ideologies” (read PDP, NC and Congress) to form a stable government, and that he dissolved the assembly, keeping in mind Kashmir’s interest. On the Opposition’s threat to move court, he said those who wanted to move court, could do so as it was their right.

“I acted in the state’s interest and according to its Constitution… For the past 15 to 20 days, I have been getting reports of large-scale horse trading. Mehboobaji told me a week before that her MLAs were being threatened through the NIA. Another side said MLAs were being lured with large-scale money... Had I given any side opportunity, it would have created more mess.”

Saying that parties with “opposing political ideologies” can’t afford a stable government, Malik added, “We would have altered this situation, had we given an unstable government. An opportunist government would have been the outcome of this process. We never wanted instability in a sensitive state.”

He hit out at the PDP and the NC, claiming they had told him that they had a majority but he was not given any proof for it. On BJP leader Kavinder Gupta’s allegation that the PDPCongress-NC tie-up was formed on the directions of Pakistan, he said he could not comment on it. “But this grand alliance is opportunistic, they have no understanding between them.”

No truck with PDP in polls: Omar

The governor’s defence prompted a sharp response from former CM Omar Abdullah, who asked Malik to make public reports about horse-trading in government formation. “If the governor has accepted that MLAs were being bought over, money was changing hands, people should know who was doing it. If the governor has such reports, he should make them public.

We want to know where this money came from,” he said at a press conference. He added that allegations of use of money and horse-trading cannot apply to the NC-PDP-Congress grand alliance, and that Malik is referring to the letter sent by People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone.

On his party’s decision to align with PDP and Congress, the former CM said that NC had agreed to extend only external support to the government. “We had promised Mehbooba Mufti (PDP chief) that we will support her in government formation. Though it involved a lot of risks, we did it in the interest of people. PDP had even offered the CM’s post to Farooq Abdullah (Omar’s father) but we refused it,” Omar said.

He also made it clear that the PDPNC-Congress have no plans to contest the polls together.